Ed Balls worries quite a lot about the shortcomings of British parents. Today, he says the state should give clearer instructions on drinking – because he has detected confused British parents crying out for instructions from our political class. “Guide us, O leaders,” they say.
Here are Balls’s exact words, to Sky News this morning.
“I think that parents are often saying to us that with smoking it is clear – smoking is wrong and children shouldn’t smoke, on drugs the same – but with alcohol we have never ever given any clear guidance to parents.”
The government’s smoking ban has, you see, finally hammered home the message to these benighted parents. But there is no similar message on booze.
“Parents are saying they want more information about what is safe for alcohol – that is why today we are asking the Chief Medical Officer for the first time ever, to give parents guidance on the impact of alcohol on under-18s.”
I am in that small minority who believe that Ed Balls is quite a smart cookie, and concede that he has run rings around the Tories on economics for a decade. But in general politics I am amazed at his a) lack of faith in the British public and b) faith in the state. These twin characteristics are the essence of Brownism. I have to say that Cameron dabbled in this nonsense a couple of years back, when he said he wanted to govern Britain not by legislation but by “bringing about a change in national culture” – an idea based on the preposterous premise that the politicians are regarded as some kind of cultural or moral leaders or trend-setters. Mr Cameron is a good deal more humble now, and his ability to ditch bad ideas is his strongest asset. But suspect it will take an almighty election defeat (or three) to get this message home to Labour.
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